“Is that really supposed to be a question? It seems clear you know who I am. Declan Kelly?”
The blond man shook his head and laughed. The dark man also shook his head, but there was no laugh.
“Then you work for him?” The blond man nodded. “Fine, I can tell you right now, I have no intention of paying my brother’s debt. Please leave, now.” She moved to go up the three steps and they both took a step forward. She stopped and glared.
“Mrs. Beckett, we are asking you to please come with us. Mr. Kelly would like to speak with you.”
“I believe I just gave my answer to any discussion Mr. Kelly would want to have. I believe I asked you to leave.” Glancing around her, to her neighbors’ house. It was just after eight and twilight had set. The street wasn’t very well lit, and there wasn’t anyone she could see. Her street was a quiet one, and there was little traffic. She wondered if she screamed for help if someone would hear her.
“Mrs. Beckett, you have no cause for concern about your safety. Declan needs only a few minutes of your time, please. If you do not come to him, he will come to you, and he will not be as pleasant.” The large man was tense.
“Fine, if he wants to be told to fuck off to his face, then I’m willing to do that.”
The blond man smiled as he led the way to the black Lincoln Town Car that was in front of her home. He opened the door to the back seat and she got in.
Her hands were sweating, and she forced deep breaths to keep calm. If she ever saw Peter again, she was going to make it so he wal
ked with a limp. She was being summoned by a freaking gangster because of Peter and his stupidity. Would he be a kindly looking old man, or a overweight middle-aged man used to throwing his weight around? Surely a man who felt the need to send people for him was used to having things done for him, rather than doing them himself. Her mind was in such chaos she wasn’t even aware the car had stopped until the blond man opened the door for her to get out.
She had no idea what neighborhood she was in. It was a very quiet street, and only five houses lined the block. The lots were much larger than the ones on her own block. The house she was led to was a beautiful old Victorian home, with a large front porch that held a porch swing and two gliders. As she got closer, she could see it was painted in a deep, rich red. The door was a large, thick oak door that swung open without a sound.
They entered into a hall of light, golden wood around the doors and dark wood on the floors. It was a long hallway with a room to each side, and then the large man knocked on a closed door. A muffled confirmation to enter was given. The large man went in first and then motioned for her to follow him. Taking a deep breath, she entered. She could do this. Declan Kelly was a bully and a criminal, and she wouldn’t be frightened of him.
Chapter Two
Declan Kelly was gorgeous. She had no other word for him but that. His skin was a honey brown that seemed at odds with his heritage, his hair was raven-wing black. A stern brow over heavy-lidded amber eyes, and a long, thin nose was over a wide, beautifully molded mouth that softened the square, strong jaw. The moment their eyes met, she felt like she had been dropped from a distance too high onto an electric fence. Her body came alive in a way she had never felt before. He stood from behind the desk, and he was taller than her own five foot seven inches by at least six inches. A broad, strong chest was covered in an ice-blue silk shirt open at the throat, and his sleeves were rolled back. His pants were black, and it was obvious they had been tailored to him.
When he spoke, his voice was a deep, smoky vibration she felt to her backbone. There was only a trace of an Irish accent in his words. “Mrs. Beckett, I would like to thank you for coming to see me. Please, let us sit comfortably for our discussion.”
He moved around the desk, and she backed away from him and moved to where he was indicating, a long, dark brown leather couch across from two matching club chairs. Picking a chair, she was anxious at the thought of him sitting beside her on the couch. She crossed her legs and prayed she didn’t look as stunned and out of control as she felt. There was a tug at the corner of his beautiful lips, and she stiffened at the sight. “I hardly had a choice. Your men made that clear.”
She was able to tear her glance away to give the large man who had brought her here a hard glare. Declan turned to the man with a raised eyebrow.
“I was polite, Declan, truly I was.”
“I’m sure he believes he was, and maybe as far as he was concerned, he was. Me, I’m not used to dealing with gangsters, and I didn’t think he was very polite.”
He laughed, it was a deep, throaty chuckle that softened the hard lines of his voice and stole her breath. “You have watched too much television to go around painting such a broad term to Paul and myself.”
“So loaning money to people at an inflated rate that would make most bankers swoon is legal? Intimidating people with the threat of violence is legal? I know you’ve ordered people killed in the past and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. Peter warned me about you.”
His smile disappeared. He made a motion and the two men left. As she watched them go, she wanted to call them back. She didn’t want to be alone with Declan Kelly. “For you, sweetheart, I’ll tell you that I allow people access to their vices. I have two pubs that both operate gambling within them, but no one is ever allowed to spend more than they can afford to lose. I do operate an escort service, and the women who work do so because they want to, never because they have to. They are clean of drugs and disease or they don’t work. I do lend money at a higher rate than is legal, but it is the smallest component of my business. Money is lent mainly to those from Ireland, but there are other immigrants who need help that a regular bank won’t give them, and only those who have means and a solid foundation are lent money. Gamblers and others without a reputation need not apply.
I do not deal in drugs of any kind, nor are the people in my employ allowed to partake in drugs. There is also a completely legal aspect in which I own and maintain rental properties. There have been a few times in the last thirteen years when a wrong has been perpetrated of such significance that it had to be answered with violence. I did not make the decision lightly nor with satisfaction. That is not who I am.”
“I’m very impressed and relieved to know all of that.” Her tone implied she was anything but, and she shrugged as she studied her nails. “Why don’t you just get to the demand for Peter’s debt and I’ll tell you to go to hell, the same as I told Peter yesterday. I really need to be getting home.”
“Mrs. Beckett, I was looking forward to meeting you, but I must say, I had no idea it would be this enjoyable.” He raised a hand as she opened her mouth to make a rude reply. “As I said previously, money is not lent to a person unless a very thorough review of their background provides a clear indication the money can be repaid. Your brother stated you would pay out if he couldn’t, and because of this, I looked into you. I must now make a confession that your brother was never lent money because I believed that he would be able to pay it back. He seems to have the worst luck. Had he been able to pay it back on his own, I would have still wanted to meet with you.
Your profession as an accountant caught my eye immediately. I have a situation and I need your expertise. I am experiencing skimming from both of my two gambling concerns located within my pubs, The Garrick and The Black Swan. I can’t say for sure who or how much, but I know something is off in the books. The problem is, there’s several people who do the ledger for each pub and I cannot pinpoint it. I know that as an experienced accountant you could audit the ledgers and tell me who is stealing from me. If you do this, then ten thousand will be deducted from your brother’s debt.”
Miranda clenched her hands as she forced herself to stay calm. The idea of Peter offering her up like some golden ticket made her stomach turn. “I told Peter three years ago I was done helping him. No more money, no more saving his ass. I can’t go back on that now.” She was annoyed that she could hear the pleading in her voice.
“Your brother has brought much grief into your life, I know this. I can understand your reluctance to allow his problems back into your life. If you would prefer that I make a payment in the same amount to you, then I would be happy to do so. I will say it makes no matter why you agree to assist me, only that you do.”
Her palms were slick with sweat. She wanted to get up and tell him to fuck off, and she wanted to make sure Peter knew what she had done. This wasn’t her life. She didn’t care how prettily Declan Kelly had described who and what he was. In basic terms, he was a criminal, and to work for him in any way would place her firmly in a world she wanted no part of.
“Miranda.” His smoky voice was almost a whisper, and she looked up and into his eyes. Desire flared hot and heady through her. She imagined he would say her name like that as their bodies were tangled together in passion. It shocked her that she not only imagined them having sex, but that she craved it in a way she never had before. Her eyes roamed down his body, and she wondered if she would be able to take him inside her. Her mind flashed to the thought of her on her knees, taking him into her mouth, to find out how large he was and what he tasted like. The thought nearly blinded her with longing. The core of her flooded with hot, sticky need.